Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Sect Leader Qi made no attempt to mask his suspicion. Standing directly before Qin Ting, the Golden Core powerhouse of the Little Sky Net Sect, Qi openly swept the Spirit Condensing Golden Pill with his Divine Sense. He scrutinized every inch of the medicinal structure. Only when he was absolutely certain the pill was free of tampering did he tuck it away into his robes.

“Elder Bai,” Sect Leader Qi commanded, his eyes never leaving Qin Ting. “Arrange accommodations for our guests from the Little Sky Net Sect.”

Elder Bai bowed and stepped forward, gesturing for Qin Ting and his entourage to follow him to the inn.

Once that group had drifted away, Sect Leader Qi turned to the remaining elders. “Elder Lu, you will host our allies from the Spirit Sword Sect and the Mystic One Sect.”

“I have other matters to attend to,” Elder Lu grunted, already turning away. “I won’t be playing host.”

Sect Leader Qi didn’t press him. instead, he exchanged a meaningful glance with Yin Hong and Daoist Lingxiu. A silent conversation passed between them via Divine Sense. A moment later, the three leaders departed one by one, heading toward a secluded location for a private war council.

Inside the inn, Qin Ting watched them leave through a window. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint, unhurried smile playing on his lips. He didn’t seem annoyed by the cold reception in the slightest.

“Go,” Qin Ting said softly, not turning his head. “Introduce yourself to their disciples.”

Behind him, a young man rose from a seated position. His robes were embroidered with purple star patterns, and his eyes shimmered with an unnatural, starlight-like luminescence. He bowed slightly to Qin Ting’s back, then turned and walked out toward the gathering of disciples from Wanchun Valley, the Spirit Sword Sect, and the Mystic One Sect.

Outside, Elder Lu was busy organizing quarters for the visiting sects. Amidst the bustle, Li Tonghai spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

“Senior Brother Han!”

Li Tonghai grinned, vibrating with that characteristic Spirit Sword Sect energy. “I trust you’ve stayed in one piece this past year? I’ve hit the ninth layer of Qi Refining. How about a rematch?”

Han Yu offered a polite, practiced smile. “There is no need for a challenge. A friendly spar will suffice.”

“Then I’ll be delaying your cultivation again,” Li Tonghai laughed, clapping a hand on his hilt. “But it’ll be worth it. Over the last year, I’ve mastered a ‘Soul-Condensing Sword Art’ specifically designed to shatter illusions. Win or lose, I’m giving you a copy of the manual.”

Han Yu blinked, genuinely surprised. “How do you intend to explain that to your superiors? Surely the Spirit Sword Sect’s techniques are secret?”

“While true, those rules were left by the founder ages ago,” Li Tonghai said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Blindly sticking to tradition only makes us stagnant. It limits our growth while those scheming villains in the Central Heaven Domain gloat over our weakness.” He grinned broadly. “Don’t worry, Senior Brother Han. I have my own ways of explaining things.”

Han Yu shook his head. “I have no desire to offend the Spirit Sword Sect over a manual. Wait until your Supreme Elder returns. If you truly wish to gift it, ask for his permission first.”

Li Tonghai chuckled. “Fair enough. But I’m sure the Supreme Elder will agree—”

He cut himself off mid-sentence. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He spun around to find a pair of exceptionally bright, starlight-infused eyes staring directly at him and Han Yu.

Li Tonghai frowned at the intruder in the purple star-patterned robe. “What are you looking at?”

“I wasn’t looking at you,” the Little Sky Net disciple said. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “You are… too weak.”

“What did you say?”

The flying sword strapped to Li Tonghai’s back hummed, vibrating against its scabbard. His gaze sharpened into a glare, ready to draw steel at a moment’s notice.

“I said, you are too weak,” the disciple repeated as if stating a boring fact. He then shifted his gaze to Han Yu. “You, however… you are strong.”

Han Yu immediately activated his Spirit Eye Technique.

He couldn’t see the youth’s exact cultivation level, but the visual feedback was blinding. Beneath those purple robes, the guy was glowing like a lantern—layers of protective artifacts, trinkets, and talismans radiated a dense treasure aura. His eyes, too, shone with the luster of a high-grade spiritual object rather than flesh and blood. Given that he had been standing next to the Golden Core cultivator Qin Ting earlier, this was clearly the Little Sky Net Sect’s ace.

“Our strength is none of your concern,” Han Yu said, his tone dropping a few degrees. “And if you are here to weigh us as potential enemies, you are starting a bit early.”

The Little Sky Net disciple paused, then offered a mechanical bow. “Consider me rude. I am Lin Lingxiu, Qi Refining ninth layer. I wish to spar with you Fellow Daoists.”

“Good!” Li Tonghai sneered, his sword ringing as it left the sheath. “Perfect timing. I can use you to warm up before I fight Senior Brother Han!”

Han Yu sighed inwardly as he watched Li Tonghai square up.

The disciples of the Spirit Sword Sect—from Ye Guxing to Li Tonghai—were refreshingly straightforward. They hated evil and loved a good fight. Unfortunately, that made them incredibly easy to manipulate. This Lin Lingxiu had clearly come here specifically to provoke a reaction and gauge their abilities. Why give the enemy exactly what they wanted?

Before the steel could clash, Elder Bai and Elder Lu turned their sharp gazes toward the inn.

“Is the Little Sky Net Sect deliberately provoking us?” Elder Lu barked. “Restrain your disciple, Qin Ting. Do not stir up trouble for no reason!”

Qin Ting’s smooth laughter floated out from the inn. “Disciples are young and hot-blooded. When geniuses gather, sparks fly. What is improper about that? Besides, it isn’t necessarily my disciple Lin Lingxiu who is at fault. Is there a single member of the Spirit Sword Sect who doesn’t delight at the prospect of battle?”

“Even if they exchange a few moves, I consider it harmless.”

“If you insist on this path, we have nothing more to say,” Elder Lu replied coldly. “But the decision to fight lies with the Sect Elders. We will wait until our Sect Leader and your distinguished guests return.”

“I fear that by then,” Qin Ting purred, his voice dripping with insinuation, “your Spirit Condensing Golden Pill will have been paid for in vain.”

“Hehe, no matter. If they don’t fight, they don’t fight. Would I force them?” Qin Ting’s tone shifted, soft and sinister. “I leave the choice entirely to the Juniors.”

Elder Lu and Elder Bai remained silent, their expressions frosty.

Down below, Lin Lingxiu stood with his hands at his sides, his bright eyes scanning the crowd. “This one is weak,” he muttered, pointing at a Mystic One disciple. “That one is weak.”

His detached commentary was infuriating. It wasn’t just Li Tonghai; disciples from the Spirit Sword Sect and Mystic One Sect were gripping their weapons, knuckles white. The atmosphere was a powder keg.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long. Sect Leader Qi, Yin Hong, and Daoist Lingxiu returned from their meeting. Seeing the standoff, Sect Leader Qi frowned.

“Qin Ting,” Qi called out. “What are you planning now?”

Qin Ting strolled out of the inn, gesturing innocently toward the group of disciples. “I have not interfered in the affairs of the Juniors. What planning could there be? If they wish to spar, they spar. If not, we let it be.”

Sect Leader Qi considered this for a moment. “Since you put it that way, let Wanchun Valley fulfill its duties as host first. Our internal competition is underway. Once the Outer and Inner Disciple rankings are decided in two days, we will erect a dedicated arena here. Any disciple wishing to issue a challenge may do so then.”

“Sect Leader Qi is thoughtful indeed,” Qin Ting smiled.

With the tension temporarily diffused, Sect Leader Qi ordered Elder Lu to lead the disciples back to the sect proper, while he and Elder Bai remained at the Green Grain Market to monitor the “guests.”

The following day, the Wanchun Valley internal competition began in earnest.

Han Yu, dressed in his blue Inner Disciple robes, stood beside Elder Lu as a spectator. The visiting sects—Spirit Sword, Mystic One, and Little Sky Net—watched from the sidelines, joined by a throng of local Rogue Cultivators who provided a ceaseless stream of commentary.

Truthfully, the three major sects had low expectations. Wanchun Valley was known for alchemy and farming, not combat prowess. They expected the Outer Disciples to be clumsy and hesitant.

The reality, however, was a surprise.

The Wanchun Valley disciples who took the stage were far from incompetent. They moved with agility, their reactions sharp and paranoid. Rarely did anyone cast a spell and stand still to admire their handiwork—they cast and immediately relocated. For cultivators only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, their tactical awareness was commendable.

Han Yu watched with a slight nod of satisfaction.

Not bad, he thought. It seems my time in the Battle Hall wasn’t wasted.

He had spent months thrashing these people as the masked “Senior Brother Han.” By now, every disciple in the sect knew the golden rule: if you stood still waiting to tank Han Yu’s flying sword, phantom clones, or those accursed crows, you were dead. The fear of him had bred a generation of mobile, cautious fighters.

The Outer Disciple competition concluded in a single day. To no one’s surprise, Lu Yun took first place.

Lu Yun was a nightmare to fight. His unique physique granted him absurd regeneration, and when combined with the volatile Spirit Explosion Technique, he was a walking tank. Over the past year, his cultivation had deepened, he had mastered several new spells, and he had even acquired a white crane spirit beast. Among the mid-stage disciples, he was untouchable.

Lu Yun straightened his robes and stepped forward to receive his reward, beaming under the complex gazes of the crowd.

Qin Ting turned to Sect Leader Qi, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Sect Leader Qi, your sect is teeming with talent. This Lu Yun… I assume he is not inferior to your prized Han Yu?”

The air temperature seemed to drop. Sect Leader Qi, Elder Lü, and Elder Bai turned to glare at the Little Sky Net Elder in unison.

“You have investigated our disciples quite thoroughly,” Sect Leader Qi said, his voice ice-cold. “But there is no need for you to trouble yourself with our hierarchy.”